Pakistan T20I skipper, Babar Azam, is poised to rewrite the record books in the forthcoming five-match T20I series against New Zealand, commencing on April 18.
Babar stands on the cusp of surpassing multiple milestones. Just three T20I victories against New Zealand would make him the most successful T20I captain, eclipsing the record held by Brian Masaba from Uganda, who boasts 44 wins as captain. Babar is currently tied with England’s Eoin Morgan and Afghanistan’s Asghar Afghan with 42 wins as captain.
Most T20I wins as captain:
Brian Masaba: 44 (56 matches)
Asghar Afghan: 42 (52)
Babar Azam: 42 (71)
Eoin Morgan: 42 (72)
Moreover, if Babar participates in all five matches of the series, he will match Aaron Finch's record of captaining his nation in the most T20Is in history, with 76 matches. Presently, Babar has led Pakistan in 71 T20I encounters.
Babar's ambition extends to breaking Finch's record for the most runs as a T20I captain. A mere 42 runs separate him from Finch's tally of 2236 runs, scored across 76 innings as Australia's T20I captain. Babar, having accumulated 2195 runs in 65 innings as captain, aims to surpass this milestone.
Most runs as captain in T20Is:
Aaron Finch: 2236 runs (76 innings)
Babar Azam: 2195 (65)
Kane Williamson: 2125 (71)
Furthermore, Babar has his sights set on becoming the first Pakistani batsman to breach the 4000-run mark in T20I cricket. With 302 runs needed to achieve this landmark, Babar currently stands at 3698 runs. He closely trails Virat Kohli (4037) and Rohit Sharma (3974) in the list of top scorers in T20I cricket. Closing in on Kohli's score by just 340 runs, Babar sees the upcoming series against New Zealand as a prime opportunity to overshadow the Indian batting maestro.
Most runs in T20I cricket:
Virat Kohli: 4037 (109 innings)
Rohit Sharma: 3974 (143)
Babar Azam: 3698 (103)
Martin Guptill: 3531 (118)
Paul Stirling: 3491 (136)
It must be noted that the Black Caps have already arrived in Islamabad for the aforementioned series.
Pakistan vs New Zealand T20I series:
18 April: 1st T20I, Rawalpindi (7pm Pakistan Standard Time)
20 April: 2nd T20I, Rawalpindi (7pm PST)
21 April: 3rd T20I, Rawalpindi (7pm PST)
25 April: 4th T20I, Lahore (7pm PST)
27 April: 5th T20I, Lahore (7pm PST)